Main Course/Poultry

Simple Juicy Crispy Roast Chicken

Ingredients:

-        1 whole chicken NZ size 14 (1.35 – 1.5 kg)

-        ½ a medium size onion

-        Herbs of your choice:  ½ celery stalk or sage and thyme

-        ½ lemon

Seasoning:

-        Sea salt

-        Ground pepper

-        Dark soy sauce (for colour)

Method:

1.     Clean the chicken and dry in and out thoroughly with paper towel. Rub the cavity with salt and pepper.

2.     Rub the seasoning one by one onto the outside of the chicken, with salt and pepper first and then the dark  soy sauce last. While you are rubbing the seasoning on, give the chicken a good massage.

3.     Leave the chicken for an hour, or for crispier skin, leave it in the fridge overnight without covering.

4.     Preheat the oven to 220C/425F or 210C/410F.  Meanwhile cut the ½ lemon into 2 or more wedges, the  onion into a few sections.

5.     Stuff the chicken with the lemon, onion and the herbs into the chicken cavity and close it with a bamboo  skewer. Use paper towels to pat dry any moisture on the chicken.

6.     Put the chicken onto a rack with a dripping tray under it. Roast the chicken for 45-50 mins.

7.     Rest it for a few minutes. There will be a lot of juice coming out from the chicken when resting and carving,  collect them and serve with the chicken.

Hint:

-     The chicken is stuffed with raw vegetable and herbs and without traditional bread stuffings, therefore, lots of juice retained within the chicken when roasting.

-     There is so many juice from the chicken that it is best to serve it with the juice than gravy.

-     The chicken will be just cooked in 45 – 50 mins, if you prefer chicken with meat that fall off the bones, cook for another 15 mins. If so, your chicken will not be that juicy.

-     Soak the bamboo skewer before you use so that it will not burn during roasting.